A clear choice

WHAT HAPPENS when a resolute force collides with a resilient object? The result is an election that will come down to which headlines dominate the news in the days before the election. If the news is about chaos in Iraq and economic calamity, John Kerry wins. If all is relatively calm in Iraq and on Wall Street, President Bush wins.

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The polls have already indicated that Americans think Kerry would be better than Bush on handling the domestic issues that came up last night. Kerry lived up to that billing, displaying far more command of the issues than Bush. Kerry talked as a hunter against assault weapons. He talked about women's unequal pay and unemployment among African-American and Latino males. He was very clear in saying that America still has separate but unequal educations.

Most important, Kerry was far more forthright than Bush about key issues in the culture wars. Kerry flat out said that he would appoint judges who would protect the Roe v. Wade decision affirming a woman's right to choose. Meanwhile, Bush hid behind his patented rhetoric of appointing judges who would strictly interpret the law. Everyone knows that means an intolerant court full of Antonin Scalias and Clarence Thomases.

Even though Kerry joins Bush in opposing gay marriage, Kerry was far more human in his response than Bush. When Bush was asked by moderator Bob Scheiffer if he thought being gay was a choice, Bush looked stupefied, saying, "I don't know, I just don't know."

Kerry clearly said it's not a matter of choice, it's who you are born to be.

Kerry exposed Bush as being almost completely out of touch with the working poor. Kerry came out four-square for a raise in the minimum wage. Bush, having displayed no policies for the poor in his three years and nine months in office, bizarrely talked about his pitifully underfunded No Child Left Behind as the best jobs program. Kerry skewered that by saying budget cuts have knocked hundreds of thousands of children out of after-school programs.

Kerry should have won last night's debate and he did. Given that he even more clearly won the first debate, he won the debates, period.

Perhaps not by coincidence, Bush's overall approval ratings have fallen under 50 percent. But the wild card still remains Iraq. Americans still think Bush is better than Kerry on Iraq, the overall war on terror and national security.

Three debates were enough to see that Kerry is the candidate with command. The election will show which candidate the people trust.

Derrick Z. Jackson's e-mail address is jackson@globe.com.